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In the aftermath of the horrific attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several critical conversations. There is a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, an persistent concern about national security, and inquiries about the way such an tragedy could occur. However, from the perspective of a health professional and Jewish Australian, the most important dialogue we are finally having revolves around firearms.

A Decade of Warnings and a Successful Response

Health experts have been sounding alarms about firearms for at least a decade. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and enacted a suite of measures to reduce gun violence nationwide. The strategy succeeded. Prior to 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. Over the following years, there have been vanishingly few significant tragedies, with none approaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Attack and the Role of Existing Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's gun laws were partially effective. It has been suggested the individuals involved might have been armed with bolt-action rifles and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons are limited to firing a one round at a time, necessitating a manual operation to chamber the subsequent shot. While these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain significantly less rapid and less efficient than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles commonplace in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi could have been much greater if more advanced firearms had been available.

Preventing another Bondi demands unity across all states. And unfortunately, we have already seen fissures in the facade.

A System Showing Weakness

However, the terrible toll of the incident reveals that current firearm regulations are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, decades have eroded their effectiveness. Alarmingly, there are now more firearms in Australia than before the Port Arthur shooting, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding arsenals of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Road Ahead: Proposed Changes

Since the Bondi attack, there have been multiple declarations regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW specifically will soon enact a package of measures to mitigate the public danger posed by firearms. The national government has announced a fresh firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

These measures are feasible provided that the nation works together. As stated, when it comes to firearm laws, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the reality of the Australian system – laws in one state are easily circumvented if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Countering Frequent Arguments

We hear the inevitable argument that "firearms are not the killers, individuals are". This is accurate in the identical way that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people overseas without the plane. The mass slaughter witnessed at Bondi would be extremely difficult without firearms, and would have been significantly less lethal if the alleged terrorists had not had access to the firearms they used.

Weighing Necessity and Safety

There are legitimate needs for some Australians to possess guns. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – the imperative action – is to ensure that firearm legislation are updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy of the world, but time and distance has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is critical to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and make certain that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

As one friend remarked after the Bondi attack, "such tragedies just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. As nightmarish as the incident was, there is hope that it can become the final tragedy the nation experiences.